The End of the Tunnel
by Krac
Summary: --Finished-- A filler for the Cypher Arc...You should really read the first 5 stories or this won't make sense...A fallen friend leaves letters of comfort to those left behind.
1. The Rogue

Disclaimer…I don't own Evo…oh no…and I killed off one of my own characters…so…yeah…

AN: This is just a short collection to fill in between parts in the Cypher Arc…it's all composed of letters Asli 'Cypher' Fraser left behind for her friends and team-mates before her death.  It's kinda sappy but deal with it…I needed closure.

****

****

****

**The End of the Tunnel**

**Rogue**

Dear Rogue,

Far be it for me to descend into untold realms of cheesiness, but if you're getting this letter then something happened when we fought Magneto and I'm probably dead.  Or everything went well and we're reading it together having a laugh.  I hope it's the second but…I wrote this intending the first.  Don't be mad, but Mystique told me about a vision of Destiny's where you were killed fighting Magneto.  Even though Carol's powers make you one tough broad I couldn't take that chance.  You understand that I couldn't let you throw away your life on my dream-my plan. A good leader doesn't take risks they won't ask others to take.

This may sound cold to you but please don't spend too much time grieving for me-I'm pretty sure that my psyche will agree with me here-grief won't bring me back.  I've lived a hard life, I'm tired.  Maybe this is my chance to rest at long last.  I know my parents, Bender, Brick and even Feral are all waiting for me. Take your time about it but I'll have one hell of a party going when you join us.

Any advice I give you now will sound like a bad cliché but here goes, if you want to honour my memory-LIVE.  That's right girl, quit cutting yourself off when people reach out to you.  Let your hair down ad relax because you only get one life and it really is only what you make it.  I'm not saying that you have to turn yourself into a Jean clone just for me *shudder* but maybe you should start letting others worry about how close they want to get to you instead of automatically pushing them away.

Case in point-Remy Lebeau. Hmmhumm…You heard me.  That is one sexy Cajun who is head over heels for you Rogue.  Let him in.  Allow yourself to return his feelings.  Don't follow the example I set with Piotr-that's one of my few regrets in life-it never made either of us very happy.  Although I still think it was for his own good.  

You know I'm better at giving advice than following it…so don't laugh.

Be strong when you need to.  Love when you want to.  And laugh once a day when you remember me.

From the end of the tunnel,

Asli


	2. The Warrior, The Peacemaker and the Chil...

**Wolverine**

Old Man,

Well it seems I'm still dropping my guard and letting the killing blows in.  Not much has changed.  It's just my own self-destructive streak asserting itself not faulty training. Don't blame yourself for giving me the tools to do this…I would have used them anyway. 

If you get Kitty to help you-you'll find whatever files on your past I could dig up on my lap top.  It should have been delivered with this letter. The password is **'Colossal**' and I'll pretend I didn't hear that smirk. 

Saying goodbye to people is a hard thing to do.

From the end of the tunnel,

Asli

****

****

**Xavier**

****

Professor, 

I kept you guessing to the end didn't I? We both knew it would come to this when I visited your office and told you my harebrained plan, but it's quite different now months later facing my own death.  Never let it be said that I don't think ahead. 

I've given you a chance to realize that dream of yours Charles.  I hope you use it wisely. 

Here's the part where I could tell you to watch out for the others, but I think that goes without saying doesn't it? Even if I didn't ask you would do it.

Thank you for all your kindness.

From the end of the tunnel,

Asli

**Illyana **

Dear Illyana,

I don't know if you'll remember me, but I didn't want to forget you.  You're a very smart young lady and I have no doubt that you'll become an even smarter woman.  It makes me sad that I won't be there to see it.

I'm sure it hasn't escaped your keen observation that something happened to me when we fought Magneto and that I am not dead.  I'm sure it feels strange for you to get a letter from a dead person, but I had to ask you to do something for me.  I knew from the start that I could count on you to do me a special favour.

Look after your brother for me.  He might not know it but I loved Piotr very much and I would help me be at peace if I knew that some one was taking care of him for me.  Think of me and hug him twice a day…especially when he tells you not to hug him-that's when he needs it most.

Thank you.

From the end of the tunnel,

Asli

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Have I made you cry more?????

Thanks for the reviews guys…they really are writer food and I'm a hungry girl.

Thanks to Pixie-Flyer-who is always reading.

**Star-of-Chaos** – Yeah I hope that Rogue follows the advice too…wait…I have a say in this!

**Ish** – Maybe you better keep the box of Kleenex really close….I'm going to play with everyone's emotions.  I'm so glad that you liked my OC…I was in a fit of worry that people would think she was a Mary Sue…but I enjoyed developing Cypher but now I can pay attention to Shade, Surge and Cobra.  I suggest three boxes and some Prozac for Piotr's letter…Its going to be uber depressing...Kitty's will be too…and Lance's…and well…all of them.   And of course Asli told Rogue to go for Remy…she's a smart girl.  But yes there will be Romy…I'm restarting the series one year later…muhahahaha!


	3. The Maniac, The Thief and the Three Lost...

**Pyro**

To my dashing, darling St. John;

Was that romance novel enough for you? So this is it, the 'bloody insane Sheila' that I am; is no more.  Did you really think I'd forget to say goodbye to you?  You were a good man to have at my back-even if you were staring at my ass.

One favour.  If Remy and Rogue don't get their shit together lock them in the Danger Room at the Institute…the mutant version of 'Seven Minutes in Heaven'.

Farewell oh most fetching St. John.

From the end of the tunnel,

Asli

**Remy**

Rems,

I hope the tranquillizer Nadim gave you didn't give you a nasty hangover.  Wait…yes I do…whatever you injected me with to get me to Bucket-head's base was awful.  Karma's a bitch and so am I. 

It's all over; you're free to live your life on your own terms again.  Good doesn't always prevail but I guess even us grey souls can pull one off when given proper motivation.  Give me that sexy smile of yours…we won.  

Time for you to start celebrating.  

There isn't much I could say to you that you wouldn't have figured out for yourself already…despite that Cajun hick crap you like to pull you're a smart guy. You of all people should understand why I did what I did.  I couldn't let someone else fight my fight.  None of you would have gone against Magneto like that if not for my urging. 

 I'll stop rationalizing now if you don't mind and get down to the purview of the dead-telling the living what to do with the time they have left.  

You love Rogue.  Admit it out loud to the girl and often-you both need that kind of connection with someone else.  It'll be scary…neither of you have had it before.  But what better challenge to your 'skills' than to love an untouchable girl and keep her interested in YOU-yeah, I thought that would appeal to you. Let her love make you the kind of man you want to be, Remy.   

Admit you're wrong when you are.  Ask for help when you need it.  Be honest.

Be you.

From the end of the tunnel,

Asli

**Shade, Surge and Cobra**

Curtis, Jodhi and Nadim;

I'm finally free.  

From the end of the tunnel,

Asli

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Yep my output has trebled over the last few days…don't expect this very often…it's kind of mind boggling how much I've written in the last three days…

**Ish** – I'm glad you liked the whole Wolvie thing…it seemed the right thing to do.  And Illyana's letter was really sweet…but yeah one year in the future…I'm pretty sure Rogue and Remy are a solid thing by then…that is if St. John followed Asli's orders…


	4. The Cat, The Lover and the One Who Got A...

**Kitty**

Katherine Pryde,

You know I was tempted to send you a letter discussing the Keynes model of global economy but I had a few more pressing things to write to you about.  We were never friends-I wouldn't delude myself into thinking that.  But if things had been different for me I could see me being the kind of girl you are.  Scary isn't it?

Despite our differences there are a few things we have in common. Namely, our taste in men.  There was a very good reason why I pushed Piotr away-I never expected to live through my uprising and didn't want to see him hurt when the inevitable occurred.  But you had to let that hopeless romantic streak of yours butt into my well thought out plan. 

While it is comforting to know that Piotr forgives me; I worry about how my death will affect him.  We both know that he feels things very deeply.  It was one of the reasons I couldn't let him in.

I asked you once to love him the way I couldn't, purely, honestly, wholly.  Please, if you still care for him, if you still love him-continue.  He will need you and Illyana more than he knows.

I can't believe I just wrote that…I really wish I could just pull your hair and gouge your eyes…instead I'm handing you the only man I've loved on a silver platter.

If you can't find it in yourself to love Piotr that way after everything that's happened I understand-but to be sure nothing happened between us at 'Hood house but some talking. Be his friend.  Be there when he needs it and don't let him push you away.

Secondly, if you can't have a relationship with Piotr-take Lance back.  Now , listen to me…Lance has never stopped loving you.  He had a weird way of showing it but now maybe that he is a free man you could give things a shot. Start fresh. It's hard not to hurt the ones you love when you have other responsibilities pulling at you like a lead weight.

From the end of the tunnel,

Asli

P.S I left a laptop of information for Logan about his past….can you help him access everything?

**Lance**

****

Lance,

You and I didn't leave anything unsaid between us, maybe that was the attraction.  Together we could be ourselves-there was no fear of loosing who we were.  We could have had something great if we weren't stuck loving other people.  Things would have been simpler if we could have loved each other.

 That said thank you for being my shoulder to cry on.  Thank you for sharing yourself with me.  Thank you for not trying to stop me when I told you what I wanted to do. Thank you for helping me.  Thank you.

You're more than just a hood to me Lance.  You are only what you make yourself-and if you want others to see you as more…then put that amazing mind of yours to good use.  You're free of Mags and Mystique now…let Professor X help you guys.  You won't have to become X-Geeks.  He wouldn't ask you to do that if you didn't want to.  Besides, you guys have earned anything old baldy can give you.

From the end of the tunnel,

Asli

**Piotr**

Dearest,

The hard part of all of this was keeping you in the dark.  Keeping myself away from you when all I really wanted was to let you hold me and make it all go away.  I've been told I have willpower for my willpower. Pushing you away proved it.  But you know my reasons.

You once told me that you were sorry for my pain.  Right now I'm even sorrier for yours.  I'm sorry I did things to hurt you.  It's my only regret. That and not loving you the way you deserved. But if you believe in life after death then I suppose I will be free to love you from afar.  

Please, please don't let this destroy you.  The only way I could go through with this was to believe that you would be strong enough to continue with out me.  That in our short time I really didn't have an impact on your life. Don't let me be wrong.

Move on with your life.  Forget about me.  Raise Illyana to be the kind of person that others look up to.  Find a good woman settle down and have children.  Live.  Please. I need to know that you will be okay.

You made me want more.

From the end of the tunnel,

Asli

******************

A large sigh escaped Asli's lips-it didn't seem like much but writing her goodbyes had drained her.  It wasn't every day that she prepared for her own very likely death.  There were so many misunderstandings, and things left unsaid that at first it had seemed a daunting task.  Once she had set pen to paper though it had been a different story altogether-the words had just tumbled out.  

"All done?" Lance's voice called her back to the here and now.

"Yeah." Asli turned in her chair and offered him a smile, "You'll make sure they all get these?"

The look in the young man's dark eyes said it all, "Of course I will.  And I'll keep the Brotherhood out of it.  Mags will have to do with just the Acolytes."

"Thank you." 

Lance shook his head, "No thanks needed.  Are you sure you want to do this?"

"No," Asli rose and moved over to the bed where Lance was sitting so that he could hold her, "But it's the right thing to do.  I can't let Rogue die for me."

The hacker sighed as his strong arms pulled her close, surrounding her with warmth and peace.  Quietly, tears began to fall from her eyes but they went ignored.  Lance laid a gentle kiss on Asli's forehead, "I'll miss you."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Yes, I am officially the most evil fan fiction writer ever…but you guys are sending me such lovely review I can't help myself.

**Star-of-Chaos** – I'm glad you liked Cypher as well…this was her third incarnation…the others weren't alive enough.  I love developing characters-it's one of my strong suits left over from theatre.  And believe me I will top this.

**Pixie-Flyer** – Yes! I'm making you review! No comment…if Asli comes back she won't be the same lovable bitca…don't worry though my little book worm…I've got it covered.

**Ish** – I've been writing in every spare moment I have…before work, after work, on break.  Plus it helped that by the third story I had these letters all planned out and knew I was killing Asli.  Things are gonna slow down a bit again.  But I'll try to get something out once a week.  I refuse to comment on whether or not Rogue and Remy get locked in the danger room…REFUSE.  But I'm glad you *squeal*ed over Remy's letter…I was worried it was weak and trite…but yay! You do know I enjoy jerking the tears…right?  Yes, death…lots of it….it's gonna go sort of how it did in the comics.


End file.
